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June 13, 2008

TWANGFEST
St. Louis, MO
June 4-7, 2008

(NO DEPRESSION.NET) -- So it turns out that this year's twelfth edition of Twangfest, the amazingly long-standing, grass-roots-built St. Louis roots and rock fest, was the first to take place in every one of the key venues in which it has ever found a home before -- including even the Off Broadway in the old Soulard brewery district, the place where it all began.

The sense of return was heightened by the inevitably raucous, political, shambling, and well-juiced festival-closing performance by the Waco Brothers, in what was a long-coming return engagement. They'd been the only "name" band to play in the same room at Twangfest One, back in 1997. All of the others in that first lineup had been upstart alt-country acts of one sort or another who'd belonged to the Postcard 2 e-mail list, acts with members who founded the get-together shows. Today, the eclectic, feisty, publc-supported, roots-and-rock-friendly local radio station KDHX-FM takes the fest lead.

When I reminded Wacos frontman Jon Langford of the long gap, he replied, counting fest editions, "Twelve years...and it seems like twelve years!" The Wacos remember things (against all odds, some might say), such as not forgetting to salute the late Bo Diddley, such as finishing off the festival in just the right way -- with their rocking take on George Jones' "White Lightning"...things like that.

This year's four-night edition was one more bit of evidence that there's plenty of fresh energy entering the broad and edgy twang neighborhood. Just before the veteran Wacos' closing set came a stunning rock performance from their young Bloodshot Records stablemate Ha Ha Tonka, in a set that was a case-making example of what throwing yourself into the music 100% can mean when you also happen to have instrumental, vocal, and songwriting chops of a very high order. There have been very few alternative country rockers that could play this fiercely and sing this well at the same time -- right down to a change-up a cappella four-part close-harmony country number which hushed the barroom crowd (no mean feat). That's what happens when you went to church in West Plains, Missouri, just like Porter Wagoner, before picking up that first Fender.

Ha Ha Tonka lead singer Brian Roberts spontaneously began to sing "Timebomb" at one point -- a salute to the Old 97's, the headlining band of the night before, in their first, long-awaited Twangfest appearance as a full band. That set, at the cavernous Pageant in University City, was certainly the climax of the festival, with festers fist-pumping on the dance floor as the band struck up the hits and introduced most of the songs from their new Blame It On Gravity CD -- arguably their strongest set of new songs and sounds in a decade. Rhett Miller and Murray Hammond both took solo turns during the encores, and also surprised with one of their "Ranchero Brothers" Everlys-style duets. The Old 97's' pleasure in being out there as a band again, after the recent hiatus, was palpable, and certainly picked up by the crowd. In keeping with Twangfest's frequent cross-referencing, they took a moment to tear into Jon Langford's "Over The Cliff" as in years gone by.

Their predecessor on the big Pageant stage, the talented Hayes Carll, may have been greeted with some skepticism by those who dismiss all laconic Texas singer-songwriters as more of the same, but notably won the majority of the packed house over with his wit, fine set list, and his roots-rock-and-country band, which put his songs and singing in a varied, attention-grabbing setting, even in the big hall. Carll and band also showed up at the always-vital bowling part of this and any music festival (known as "Twangpin" here) on Saturday afternoon, with actual bowling skills and various trick shot howlers up their collective sleeves. Who would have known?

Twangfest's Thursday night -- at Chuck Berry's home base, the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill -- featured a typically amiable and able set by the Gourds, with leader Kev Russell digging down for a spectacular rock turn on the Harry Smith-anthologized old ballad "John Johanna". The night's highlight for me and many others, though, was the rare-treat appearance by Nashville soul band Charles Walker & the Dynamites, another example of fine-voiced singing matched with instrumental wizardry. Not every '60s soul survivor finding new attention in the current soul revival is necessarily in full form 40 years later, but Walker simply is, whether he's delivering a funk thumper or a soul ballad. (He took full hold of Gershwin's" Summertime", for instance.)

It's a cool change-up to see horns come out at a "roots music" show in any event, and the Dynamites were not the only ones to bring out the brass. Wednesday night act the Butchers and the Bakers, out of Portland, Oregon, surprised the crowd at Schlafly's Tap Room with occasional trumpet in their percussive, new-vaudevillian rock mix. That night's headliner was the basically can't-fail singer-writer-guitarist Chuck Prophet, who pleased with his distinctive mix of "blues meets Green On Red."

It is a testament to the commitment to the sounds, to he audience, and to Doing It Yourself, that the volunteer Twangfest sponsors -- from the long-standing "Twang Gang" and KDHX staff both -- are still coming up with a festival with this much arresting music, and this much community-reunion-style gulp-induction, twelve years on.

-- BARRY MAZOR
Copyright c. 2008 No Depression Inc. and/or Barry Mazor.

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